Abdominal and arm fat increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, according to a study that indicates that high muscle strength reduces this risk and improving body composition would help prevent these diseases.
It is already known that being overweight is bad for your health, but where in the body the fat accumulates can be a determining factor when it comes to increasing the chances of suffering from certain diseases. In fact, a new study has found that people with high levels of body fat in the abdomen or arms may have a higher risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s compared to those with low levels of fat in these areas.
The results of the research were recently published in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and also revealed that people with a high level of muscle strength were less likely to develop these diseases compared to those with low muscle strength.
“These neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, affect more than 60 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to grow as the population ages. Therefore, it is crucial to identify ways to modify risk factors in order to develop preventive tools,” said Dr. Huan Song of Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and an author on the paper.
“This study highlights the potential to reduce the risk of developing these diseases by improving body composition. Interventions aimed at reducing fat in the trunk and arms, while promoting healthy muscle development, may be more effective in protecting against these diseases than general weight control.”
High levels of muscle strength reduce neurodegenerative risk
The study included 412,691 people with an average age of 56 years, who were followed for an average of nine years. At the start of the study, body composition measurements were taken, such as waist and hip measurements, grip strength, bone density, and fat and lean mass. During the study, 8,224 people developed neurodegenerative diseases, mainly Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia, and Parkinson’s.
Men with high levels of abdominal fat developed neurodegenerative diseases at a rate of 3.38 per 1,000 person-years, compared with 1.82 cases per 1,000 person-years for those with low levels of abdominal fat. For women, the rates were 2.55 for high levels and 1.39 for low levels. Person-years represent both the number of people in the study and the time each person spends in the study.
The relationship between these body compositions and neurodegenerative diseases was partly explained by the appearance of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and strokes.
After adjusting for other factors that could affect the rate of disease, such as high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes, the researchers found that overall, people with high levels of abdominal fat were 13% more likely to develop these diseases than those with low levels of abdominal fat.
People with high levels of arm fat were 18% more likely to develop the diseases than those with low levels of arm fat. Those with high muscle strength were 26% less likely to develop the diseases compared to those with low levels of strength.
The relationship between these body compositions and neurodegenerative diseases was partly explained by the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke after the start of the study. “This underscores the importance of managing these cardiovascular diseases promptly to help prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or other degenerative diseases,” Song said.
The authors acknowledged that a limitation of the study is that participants were primarily white people from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, so the results may not be applicable to other populations.
